Method of and apparatus for making fills, and embankments, &amp;c.



PATENTED JAN- 22, 1907.

W. M. HOOVER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1906.

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WILLIAM M. HOOVER,

0F CUBA, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FlLLS, EMBANKMENTS,'&c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

Application filed November 5,1906. Serial No. 342,123.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. HOOVER, of Cuba, in the county ofAllegany, and in the State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Methods of and Apparatus for Making Fills,Embankments, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation in thenature of a diagram illustrating my invention, and

Fig. 2 an end elevation showing the trusssupporting tower.

The object of my invention is to cheapen the operation of making fillsor embankments by simplifying the apparatus to be used in suchoperations and facilitating the work of handling the apparatus inshifting its position as the work progresses, my in vention obviatingthe necessity of building temporary trestles or rigging cableways and tothese ends my invention consists in the method of and apparatus formaking fills, embankments, or the like, substantially" as hereinafterspecified and claimed.

In designing the apparatus for the practice of my invention I haveadapted it for use with the usual excavators and narrow-gage dump-trainsand run the track for the latter to the edge of the fill or embankment,from which point the track is extended out beyond the edge .of the fillby means of a bridge A, which preferably is a trussed structure, one endof which rests upon the edge of the fill or embankment, (and this is animportant feature of my invention,) while the other end is supported bya tower B. .The tower-supported end of the bridge may be supported atdifferent heightsas, for example, by. blocks or brackets b bolted to thesides of the tower at the desired heights corresponding with the levelof the fill or embankment, so that the same apparatus is adjustable foruse in making fills of different heights. Besides its adjustment todifferent heights the apparatus is shiftable horizontally as the fillingproceeds horizontally, the tower for this purpose being made readilyportableas, for example, by being mounted upon wheels b, for which asuitable track may be provided. The apparatus is shifted horizontallyafter the filling has been carried to the point where at its bottom itreaches the base of the tower. The tower is anchored in position bymeans the tower is shifted horizontally to change its position, thefill-supported end of the bridge is moved horizontally in any desiredwayas, for example, by pushing it with a dinky locomotive. When thetower is moved, the guys on one side thereof'are of course slacked andthose on the opposite side taken up.

When the bridge is to be raised to its maximum height or to the top ofthe tower, a suitable framework or erection bent D is employed, and forhoisting, as will be readily understood, hoisting ropes or cables d,with suitable falls or endless chains may be employed.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood. With thebridge resting at one end upon the edge of the fill orembankment andsupported at its other end by the tower, the dump-cars are run out uponthe bridge and their contents spilled or dumped. The fillin havingproceeded as far as the location of the tower will permit,- the bridgeand tower are then shifted, as has already been described, to a newposition.

By utilizing the edge of the fill as a support for the bridge at one endand a tower for its support at the other end I am able to employapparatus of extreme simplicity, and yet it is a firm substantialstructure, and the operation of placing the apparatus in position foruse and changing its position as the work progresses is very easily andexpeditiously done. My invention may be used on all kinds of ground andon fiat or rolling country.

The shaded portion of the embankment shown in Fig. 1 indicates theamount of embankment or fill made for each horizontal move or step ofthe apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The method offorming fills or embankments or the like, which consists in supporting abridge by the fill or embankment and by a tower beyond the fill orembankment and rising from the bottom of the ravine or place to befilled, and shlfting the positions of the bridge and tower durin theprogress of the work crosswise of the fill.

IIO

2. As an improvement in the art of constructing fills or embankments,the combina tion of a bridge supported at one end by the fill orembankment, and means supporting it at a point beyond the fill orembankment, independent of the latter and from the bottom of the ravineor place to be filled.

3. As an improvement in the art of constructing fills or embankments,the combination of a bridge supported at one end by the fill orembankment, and a portable tower supporting it at a point beyond thefill or embankment, said bridge resting directly upon said tower.

4. As an improvement in the art of constructing fills or embankments,the combination of a vertically-adjustable bridge supported at one endby the fill or embankment,

and a tower supporting it at a point beyond the fill or embankment, saidbridge resting directly upon said tower.

5. As an improvement in the art of constructing fills or embankments,the combination of a vertically-adjustable bridge supported at one endby the fill or embankment, and a horizontallyunovable tower supportingit at a point beyond the fill or embankment, said bridge restingdirectly upon said tower.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

WVILLIAM M. HOOVER.

Witnesses:

F. C. SAUNDERS, N. F. RosE.

